


baby, we built this house of memories

by spellman (orphan_account)



Series: carry on countdown 2018 [2]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), M/M, Nostalgia, Photographs, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-27 06:38:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16697329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/spellman
Summary: The four times Simon insisted on taking pictures, and the one time that Baz did.





	baby, we built this house of memories

**Author's Note:**

> yooooo! carry on countdown day two, here we go!!
> 
> title is from panic! at the disco's 'house of memories' :^)

_baby, we built this house of memories_

_take my picture now; shake it 'til you see it_

_and when your fantasies become your legacy_

_promise me a place in your house of memories_

* * *

 

i. _Baz_

“I actually have another present for you,” I say, reaching underneath the tree. “I know we said we weren’t doing expensive gifts this year, but I doubt you’re going to make me send it back.”

“ _Baz!_ I feel bad because my presents for you were so shit, like, they barely even qualify as presents.”

“Oh, shut up,” I say, tossing the box over to him. “Open it!”

He pulls off the wrapping paper and he grins, looking up at me as he rips the box open. “You did _not!”_

“I did,” I shrug. “Don’t rip the box, Snow. Were you born in a barn?”

“That’s probably not a tasteful thing to say on Christmas, you know.” he continues to tear the cardboard; I don’t know how I put up with this man.

“It’s just extra seasonally appropriate, isn’t it?” I smirk, sipping my coffee. He pulls out a purple polaroid camera, and spends the next few minutes trying to assemble it.

“Say cheese!” he says, pointing the camera in my direction, and before I have time to protest, he snaps a picture. He shakes the photo, seeming far too pleased with himself for what it’s worth. “I’m gonna take a billion photos with this and save them all in an album, just you wait.”

“Have fun buying your million packs of polaroid film then, you sappy bastard.” he seems like he’s about to say something, but he just rolls his eyes and takes another photo. “Is this a thing now? Taking mugshots of me when I least expect it?”

“You _bet.”_

 

_ii. Penelope_

“Road trip selfie?” Simon says, not even needing to make it a question.

“Uhh, vampires don’t show up in photos, do they?” Baz mocks, with a (surprisingly accurate, might I add) imitation of Simon’s accent.

“ _Yeah,_ that’s the point, isn’t it?” he replies, leaning forward in his back seat, Baz and I having unanimously decided that he can sit there because we don’t trust him to drive _or_ control the music.

“Well I’m not taking the photo, am I?” I ask, throwing my hair over my shoulder yet keeping my eyes on the road. Baz takes out his phone before Simon all but _launches_ that damned polaroid camera at him.

“You need to take it on _this_!” he says, grinning as Baz rolls his eyes. He grudgingly took the camera and held it facing towards the three of us. “Penny, you’re gonna need to look at the camera,”

“If we crash, I’m holding it against you.”

“Whatever,” Simon says, unbuckling his seatbelt so he can lean forwards some more. “Say _vampires!”_

“Really, Snow?” Baz says after snapping the photo and tossing the camera back to Simon. “Are you _ever_ going to shut up about the whole vampire thing?”

“Not a chance.” He grins, smugly.

 

_iii. Baz_

Whenever Snow gets paid, he buys more of those polaroid films. I thought that he’d forget about the camera after a while, but he’s still having the time of his life with the damn thing. He said that he wanted to reserve the films for memories or _whatever,_ but I can barely go a few days without him pointing it in my direction.

“Wait-- Baz, take a selfie with me one sec.” I roll my eyes, stopping just outside the door. “Can’t it wait? We’re _so_ late.”

“We can look back on this as the time we were late because I wanted to take a picture with my _amazing_ boyfriend?” I can feel myself blushing.

“ _Charming_ , Snow. Fine then, hurry up.”

“Yay!” he grabs the camera from the table and runs up to me, throwing his arm around my waist and holding the camera at arms length. “Say… _punctuality?”_ I snort.

“Just take the picture, you knob.”

“Okay, okay. Three, two one…” Then he kisses me, and I’m surprised but I’m not complaining, and I see the camera flashing behind my eyes.

“Wow, Snow.” I say once he pulls away, looking pleased with himself. “You’re even sappier than usual today.”

He shrugs, smiling. “Come on, we’re late.”

The photo carries on developing after we leave.

 

_iv. Baz_

He doesn’t get out the camera for a while. I think he’s forgotten about it, if I’m honest; an inevitable side effect of his chronic untidiness.

I don’t roll my eyes when he does, though, because at last he has _reason_ to.

It’s Bunce’s wedding day, and I have to admit that she looks an absolute picture, so I don’t blame Snow for wanting a photo.

“Baz, could you take a photo of me and Penny?” he asks, holding out the camera to me, and I nod. I don’t have it in me to act cynical today, so I just smile at them.

Simon wraps his arm around her, and I snap the photo, handing the camera back to him.

“Oh, Penny, get here.” I hear Wellbelove from the other side of the room, and I turn to wave at her. “Agh, Pen, your hair is an absolute mess. Let me fix it.”

Simon sidles over to me, smiling. “I’ve never been to a wedding, you know. Do you think this might be us soon?” he laughs, but something tells me he’s only half joking.

I smirk. “Maybe.” he blushes, looking slightly apologetic. “One step at a time though, yeah?”

 

_v. Simon_

I get home after a _particularly_ draining day to find Baz dressed to the nines (no – to the _tens)._ And I’m not really surprised, to be honest.

“Get dressed, Snow. We’re going out.”

“On Christmas Eve?”

“Yes, go on. I’ve left you some clothes on your bed.” he smiles. “Early Christmas present.”

“ _Baz.”_ I sigh. “I hate you.”

“Sure you do. Go on.” he kisses me quickly. “I’m waiting.”

I head out to the kitchen when I’m finally ready, and Baz looks up from his phone, smiling. It’s embarrassing.

“One more thing before we go,” he says. He leaves the room for a few seconds, and comes back in holding that polaroid camera (that, admittedly, I’d kind of forgotten about). “You always insist on taking photos before we go out, don’t you?” He raises an eyebrow, smirking.

We take more photos than we probably should, messing around and wasting time, but one photo – one photo is my favourite.

Neither of us are looking at the camera in this photo, we’re looking at each other. And we’re both smiling like idiots.

And Baz –

_Baz is holding a ring._

**Author's Note:**

> this took me days to write and it's barely scraping at 1000 words what the fuck
> 
> i'm kicking my mental illness and writer's block in the ass though so FUCKIN PRAISE ME Y'ALL  
> sorry if this sucked i'm trying i really am jdnfvsjnjzdknkja
> 
> follow me on the tumble or P E R I S H @petticoatpiracy


End file.
